Defenders of the Guardians
by ObsessiveFanNumber1
Summary: AU version of the "Defenders of the Core" video game. Rated T for later chapters & my paranoia. Spectra isn't after the core, and the Battle Brawlers Resistance has a lot more than that to worry about...Temporary hiatus, go to my profile for explanation.
1. Chapter 1

**Me: Okay, so when I got the "Defenders of the Core" game, I had to stop playing the game after the first Egypt mission. Since I couldn't stand it, my sister and I came up with this storyline.**

**Percival: So what are WE doing here?**

**Helios: Good question.**

**Me: That's simple. The story gets really serious, especially later on, so Percival, Helios, and I will do these extra things to kind of lighten the mood a little at the beginning and ending of chapters.**

**Helios: Forget it. Why should I do this?**

**Me: Because if you don't, you won't be able to comment on the story at all. And you'll want to later when...*whisper part of plot to Helios***

**Helios: Hmph. Fine, I'll do it.**

**Me: And you'll do the disclaimer.**

**Helios: WHY?**

**Me: I won't let you comment later if you don't.**

**Helios: Ugh, fine. Obsessive-Fan Number 1 doesn't own the rights to anything in this story.**

**Me: Thanks, Helios. Now, last thing. This starts right before you leave for the second Egypt mission, where you fight 2 Subterra Hexados Bakugan and Helios in the actual game. In this, obviously, you don't.**

**Percival: Get on with the story already!**

**Me: I hear you, Percival. Here it is!**

Ace caught Mira's arm before she could follow the others out of Marucho's plane.

"Huh? What's wrong?" Mira said.

"That's what I was about to ask you," Ace said.

"Mira, Ace, come on!" Dan yelled back.

"In a minute!" Ace glared at the door before looking back at Mira. "What's up?"

"What makes you ask that?" Mira said.

"We're leaving without you!" Dan shouted.

Ace ignored him. "You disappear without a word, some back saying you were spying, and you've been acting weird ever since."

"Three!" Dan yelled.

Mira looked torn for an instant before she said, "It's nothing."

"Two!"

"Sure it's nothing," Ace said. "What happened?"

"One!"

"Nothing happened," Mira said.

"We're really leaving!" Dan called.

"Fine! Just shut up!" Ace yelled to him. He rolled his eyes before looking back at Mira. "I doubt it. Tell me what's wrong."

"Ace—" Mira looked torn again before glancing away. "I can't."

"Why not?"

Before Mira could answer, Baron came running up. "Hey, come on, guys!" he said, grabbing both of their wrists and tugging them forward. "Everybody's waiting on you!"

"Wha—let go!" Ace jerked his arm away.

Mira laughed a little. "We're going, Baron."

"Then come on!" Baron said excitedly.

Ace looked Mira in the eye. "I'm not letting this drop for long," he said softly.

Mira's uneasy look returned to her eyes for a moment before disappearing again. The Vestal trio raced out into the sand dunes of Egypt.

"Look who showed up." Spectra startled everyone. Ace caught a flash of guilt in Mira's eyes before she tensed for battle like the rest of them.

"What are _you_ doing here?" Joe demanded, grabbing Drago. **(A/N: For the sake of this story, the character is named Joe.)**

"What do you think? Why bother setting a trap"—Spectra indicated the area with a wave-"if we aren't going to collect the prizes?"

"You're _not_ getting Abyss!" Dan shouted.

Spectra rolled his eyes. "Who says I care about the core?"

"Then what—" Marucho started.

"All _I _care about are the Bakugan," Spectra said, like anyone with half a brain would see that as obvious. **(A/N: I'm sorry I ditch the core, but I can't understand the point of Abyss's character.)**

"There's no way you're getting them!" Baron said.

"Isn't there?" Spectra seemed like he was enjoying himself. He looked at Gus, who nodded and pulled out Vulcan.

"If it's a fight you want," Joe said, "then that's what you've got!"

Spectra looked at all of them, but he seemed to focus in on Mira. "Against _all_ of you?" he said softly. "Or are you going to keep your promise, _Mira_?"

"What the heck is he talking about?" Ace looked at Mira, who had the same torn look in her eyes again. "Mira?"

Mira didn't look at anyone. "I'm sorry, guys," she said quietly and walked over to stand next to Spectra.

"What—Mira!" Ace said.

He wasn't the only one shocked. Shun and Marucho looked stunned. Dan, Joe, and Baron looked like they'd just been slapped in the face. Even Gus glanced at Mira out of the corner of his eye. The only one who didn't seem surprised was Spectra; he only nodded at Mira, like he'd been expecting this all along.

Ace's hands clenched into fists. "What lie did you tell her?" he shouted.

Spectra smiled cruelly and placed a card in his black-and-red gauntlet. A bright red blade shot out from the front of the gauntlet. "If you want to know what I told Mira," he said calmly, "then you're going to have to win, aren't you?"

Ace narrowed his eyes and put the same card in his white-and-purple gauntlet. The blade that ejected was a light violet. "That won't be a problem."** (A/N: For something like this, where the character (you) moves around and fights, and there's a regular fight going on at the same time, it has to be assumed that the brawl (Joe vs. Gus, in this case) happens.)**

Ace lunged at Spectra, but the Pyrus brawler stepped to the side, elbowing Ace in the back at the same time. Ace couldn't stop himself from crying out in pain when Spectra kneed him in the stomach hard enough to send him flying and slamming into the ground.

"Ace!" Mira cried, looking between him and Spectra.

"Stay out of this, Mira," Ace said, getting to his feet and wiping a small amount of blood away from the corner of his mouth. He didn't want her to get hurt.

"But—" Mira looked torn.

"Get involved, and you won't be able to do any more for him than you can right now," Spectra said bluntly, with a hint of mocking in his voice. "Don't interfere."

_I can't believe I'm agreeing with him,_ Ace thought. "I've got it under control." He sped toward Spectra again, but this time, he flipped in the air over Spectra, landing on his feet behind the leader of the Vexos and going to stab him in the shoulder.

Spectra turned fast enough to block—sort of. He used his left arm to shield from the attack, so while his shoulder wasn't cut, his arm was. At the same time, he used the red sword to stab Ace's left shoulder.

Ace bit his lip to keep from making any noise, but he took advantage of Spectra's distraction. He cut Spectra's right arm, aiming for his gauntlet, but missing by inches and slicing above it instead.

"I don't have time for this," Spectra said, calmly kicking Ace in the face and sending the Darkus brawler in the air and down to the ground harder than a stone. He pointed the red blade at Ace's heart. Spectra actually did start to push it through Ace before...

"Stop it, Keith!"

Everyone stopped to look at Mira—even Spectra. Mira was ignoring most of them, but she was looking Spectra straight in the eye. "Stop it, Keith," she repeated.

"_Keith_?" Baron said. "But isn't that—"

"Shhh!" Dan interrupted.

"Give me a good reason why I _should_, Mira," Spectra said, an edge of testing and annoyance in his voice.

"I kept my end of the bargain," Mira said. "You have to keep both of yours."

"I only promised not to hurt the Bakugan," Spectra said simply. "That's not reason to spare Ace."

"You promised to go back to being my brother, Keith! Before, you wouldn't have needed a reason not to kill!"

"That doesn't mean I intend to _keep_ that promise."

"What? But—"

"You honestly believed I would?" Spectra forced his blade deeper into Ace's chest. "My poor, naïve little sister, I thought you knew better than _that_." He glanced at Mira, who had tears forming in her eyes.

"Don't kill him, Keith," Mira begged. "_Please!_"

"Hmph." Spectra pulled the blade out – not very gently, but he did. "We might as well leave him wishing I _had_." He leapt off of Ace and landed on his feet next to Mira. Before anyone could move, Spectra grabbed Mira's arm, and Gus teleported all three out of there.

"Mira!" Ace yelled, leaping to his feet. Angry that he couldn't do a thing, he shouted, "D*mn you, Spectra!"

"Who's Keith?" Joe asked, handing Drago to Dan since they'd won the brawl.

"He's Mira's older brother," Baron said. "Mira's been searching for him for years!"

"But if he's Mira's brother," Joe said, "then shouldn't he be on _our_ side?"

"That's not Keith," Ace said.

"How do you know?" Joe said.

"Mira has a picture of Keith in her locket," Ace said. "I've seen it before. Spectra looks nothing like Keith."

"How could Spectra trick Mira into thinking he's Keith?" Dan said.

"You think _I_ know?" Ace said. "I just know it's not Keith."

Dan looked like he was about to say something else, but just then, his cell phone rang. "What?" he snapped, flipping it open.

"You might want to watch your attitude if you want to know how you could get Mira back."

"Spectra! You've got some nerve calling after what you just did!" Dan said angrily.

"How?" Ace said.

"I'm willing to make an exchange," Spectra said calmly.

"An exchange?" Baron said.

"Mira for what?" Joe said.

"You should know," Spectra said. "For the Bakugan."

"But—how are we supposed to choose between _them_ and _Mira_?" Joe said.

"That's for you to figure out." Spectra hung up.

"We can't make _that _choice!" Baron said.

Dan was gripping the phone like he wanted to crush it. "Marucho?" he said tensely. "Do you think you can trace the call?"

"You bet," Marucho said, taking the phone.

"Good. We're going to find Spectra, and then we're going to go get Mira back," Dan said, looking at everyone. "Any questions?"

"He's in Europe!" Marucho said. "The UK!"

"Got it," Dan said. He started out the door.

"Um, Master Dan?" Baron said. "You do realize it's past 11:00 at night, right?"

"Huh?" Dan glanced at the clock. Sure enough, the clock read 11:04. "Fine," Dan said grudgingly. "We leave first thing in the morning." Everyone left to their rooms to get some much needed sleep.

**Me: So, what do you think of the first chapter?**

**Helios: I don't get it.**

**Percival: I hate to admit it, but I'm with Helios.**

**Me: Oh, shut up, both of you. Please review so I know what YOU think! (And so I can get some feedback that ISN'T from these two!)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Me: Welcome to chapter 2!**

**Helios: You say that like it's some kind of PLACE.**

**Percival: It DOES sound kind of cheesy.**

**Me: Hey, I watch a lot of cheesy shows, okay? There's nothing WRONG with that.**

**Percival: No, but this is supposed to be the opening to the STORY, not some cheap restaurant.**

**Me: Okay, just for that, you're doing the disclaimer.**

**Percival: Whatever. Obsessive-Fan Number 1 doesn't own the rights to anything in this story. If she did, then this would be what really happened in the "Bakugan: Defenders of the Core" game.**

**Me: Precisely. Also, this is the updated version, so please review (even if you've already read the original version) and let me know what you think!**

**Helios: Quit blabbering and get on with it.**

**Me: Shut up, Helios. Here it is!**

Almost an hour later, at exactly midnight, Ace crept out of his room. He already had everything he needed; now he just needed to get out.

"Where are you going?" Percival said from behind him.

"Percival!" Ace paused halfway out the door. "Nowhere."

"Uh-huh," Percival said drily. "It'd kill you to wait for everyone else to wake up, huh, Ace?"

"Maybe."

"I'm waking them up."

"No, you're not!" Ace caught Percival.

"Then you're bringing me, right?"

"Percival—"

"That one's happening either way, Ace."

Ace sighed. "Fine. You can come _as long as_ you don't wake anyone."

Percival landed on Ace's shoulder. "Then what are we waiting for?"

Ace grinned and slipped out the door.

**~I~**

It was easy enough to get past all the guards, Vestal and mechanical. Percival distracted the Vestal ones, and Ace snuck them past the machines. Sure they had to scale a building or two to keep their precious supply of Vexos passes, but that was simple enough. It helped on the convenience level, too, that Shadow Prove, Mylene, Lync, and Volt were all asleep, thanks to the timing.

Finally, they reached where they needed to get. Spectra, Gus, and Mira were the only ones in the room. None of them were facing the direction that Ace and Percival were in. Spectra was standing slightly ahead, talking quietly; Ace couldn't understand what he was saying. Gus was to his right, also standing and replying to whatever Spectra was saying. Mira was on her knees behind them both, her arms tied together in front of her.

"What are they doing awake?" Ace whispered furiously. He'd been planning to sneak in, get Mira, and get out. He'd assumed that _everyone_ would be asleep. _At least I'm prepared,_ he thought, reaching into his pocket and feeling the four small marble-like objects.

"No idea," Percival said. "This is bad."

"You think?" Ace pulled his hand out and closed it into a fist. He paused when he realized Mira had spoken up, loud enough for him to hear.

"That's your plan, Keith?" she said, looking up at Spectra. She sounded like she was crying. "_That's_ what all this is for?"

"Part of it, little sister," Spectra said quietly. "Betraying the Vexos doesn't involve you, though."

"What?" Ace whispered. _Betraying the Vexos? What's he up to?_

"It does now, Keith," Mira said. "You brought me into this as soon as you showed me your face to prove that you're really my brother."

_So_ that's_ what he did! _Ace swore to himself that he would get back at Spectra for fooling Mira. He wasn't going to believe it unless he saw proof for himself that Spectra really was or wasn't Keith.

Spectra's tight smile was cold, but if Ace didn't know better, he'd swear there was traces of knowing affection. "You're still so naïve, Mira," the Pyrus brawler said, sounding amused.

"If that's true, then why have you taken me so seriously as the Resistance's leader?"

"I've taken the Resistance seriously thanks to Dan Kuso and Drago. It had nothing to do with you. Although I admit that, until the Vexos started using the Core Crystals, the Resistance was starting to become enough of a nuisance for me to..." Spectra seemed to pause to find the right words. "...stop holding back."

"Core Crystals?" Mira repeated, confused.

"Gus and I aren't Vexos," Spectra said. "Why would we use their name for them? Though I suppose you've only heard them referred to as 'Vexos Crystals'. Whichever you prefer doesn't matter."

"Keith, I still don't understand why you would be part of the Vexos when your plan all along..." Mira trailed off.

"If you don't understand by now, Mira, then you never will. Either way, there's no reason for you to need to. The only reason I've allowed you to hear is because I don't trust anyone else to keep an eye on you, especially at this hour. And unfortunately, this is the only time Gus and I can discuss it without the old fool interfering."

"Hey, Ace?" Percival said quietly.

"Yeah?" Ace said.

"Doesn't this feel a little too...easy?"

"Too good to last. Yeah, I know. I just hope it s_tays_ that way long enough for us to get Mira back." Ace tossed Percival in the air and caught him. "Ready?"

"As soon as you are," Percival said.

Ace grinned and threw Percival as hard as he could at the back of Gus's head. His aim was perfect to knock Gus out; Percival only maneuvered a little. Just to make it hurt more. He hit Gus and zoomed back to Ace before Gus even collapsed.

Spectra glanced over, frowning when he saw Gus on the ground. His expression changed into a purely evil grin when he saw Ace and Percival in the shadows. He'd figured from the start that if any of the Resistance members considered the exchange even as a backup, it would be Ace. Careful not to let the Darkus team see, Spectra slid the sword card into his gauntlet, keeping the blade hidden from their view.

Suspicious of how little Spectra reacted, Ace picked up a rock. He tossed it in the air and silently caught it, looking at his partner. Percival nodded. This time, Ace threw the rock.

It got as far as a little more than Spectra's armlength. The Pyrus brawler cut the rock in half before it could get any further. That was where Ace and Percival's good luck slowed to a stop.

"You shouldn't have come alone." Spectra's voice was calm and quiet. "Unless you're planning to skip the fight."

"You wish," Ace said, sliding the sword card into his gauntlet. Before the blade had even ejected, he lunged at Spectra.

Unfortunately, Spectra was prepared. Easily, he sidestepped away from Ace, stabbing Ace's right shoulder at the same time. "You lost to me before," Spectra said calmly. "What makes you believe you stand a chance now?"

Grabbing the red blade, Ace pushed it out and kicked Spectra away. "I'm getting Mira back," he said tensely, "especially after whatever trick you used to make her believe _you're_ Keith."

"You don't believe it?" Spectra didn't sound surprised, only amused.

"I've seen the picture in Mira's locket," Ace said. "_You're. Not. Keith._ And whatever you did to make Mira think you are, I swear I'll make you pay for it!"

*Fight details not worked out.

(Gus wakes up sometime, though,

and he took Percival away from the area.)

Outcome: Spectra beats Ace

(badly) (again) and knocks

Ace out.*

Spectra kicked an unconscious Ace away. It was _pathetic_, really, that Ace had come still wounded. The fight had hardly been worth his time.

Noise from inside Ace's pocket caught Spectra's attention. Curious, he waited long enough to hear two voices.

One was Marucho's partner, Aquos Dual Elfin. "I want out! I _hate_ teeny-tiny, dark, closed—"

"Elfin, calm down!" _That _was the voice Spectra was waiting for. _Drago_ was the one he needed. _So the Darkus brawler _did_ bring them as a last resort._ Spectra flipped open Ace's pocket, and the four Bakugan inside tumbled out.

"Finally!" Elfin zoomed out without even noticing Spectra.

"Look who showed up," Helios growled eagerly.

"Helios! Spectra!" Drago looked up and narrowed his eyes.

"Ahhh!" Elfin zipped straight back to Ace's pocket and started trying to get it open. "I want back in!"

"You shouldn't have been complaining," Spectra said. He picked up the four Bakugan and tossed them to Gus. "Put them with the other two."

"Of course, Lord Spectra." Gus caught them, bowed, and left.

Now that he had what he needed, there really was no reason to keep Ace alive. Spectra raised the blade, ready to slice Ace open.

"Keith, don't!" Mira begged.

Spectra was careful not to look at his sister. That was the mistake he'd made before and the only reason he hadn't killed Ace earlier. He ignored Mira and brought down the sword.

"No!" Mira cried.

There was a slice. A scream. For one person, everything went black.

**Percival: Ace!**

**Me: Ooh, cliffhanger!**

**Percival: What did you do to Ace, you little—!**

**Me: Eek! (hide behind Helios)**

**Helios: What are you doing?**

**Me: Hide me!**

**Helios: Why?**

**Me: Because Percival's gonna kill me!**

**Percival: Get back here, you stupid human!**

**Helios: And I should hide you because...?**

**Me: If he kills me, then the story will never reach the part I told you about before.**

**Helios: Hmph. You can hide behind me. (muttering) Dumb human coward.**

**Me: Yeah, that's me. Please review before Percival kills me so I'm inspired to post the next chapter before my death!**

**Helios: (I will never understand humans...)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Percival: What the heck happened to Ace?**

**Me: Whoa, slow down, Percival. This is chapter 3. Sorry, it's kind of a short one.**

**Percival: No one cares about the length! Just get to what you did to Ace!**

**Me: Percival, calm down. I'll get to that. Helios, will you do the disclaimer?**

**Helios: Why ME?**

**Me: Because Percival is WAY too strung up to do it. Come on, Helios, just do it without complaining. Please?**

**Helios: If I do it, will you make Percival shut up?**

**Me: Sure.**

**Helios: Obsessive-Fan Number 1 doesn't own the rights to anything in this story. She DOES have the right to make Percival shut up.**

**Percival: You try imagining that kind of ending with SPECTRA! Would YOU be calm about it?**

**Helios: That kind of ending would never happen with Spectra because HE actually knows what he's doing.**

**Percival: Are you saying Ace DOESN'T!**

**Me: Uh-oh. Guys, break it up. We have to get to the story now! Here's chapter 3.**

"They're gone!" Joe shouted.

"What?" Dan ran into Joe's room, followed by everyone else. "It's 7:00 in the morning. What's wrong? Who's gone?"

Joe was kneeling on the ground, looking panicked. Random things were scattered all over the floor. "The Bakugan," he said, looking up at Dan and the others. "They aren't here!"

"_What!_"

"Nemus is gone?" Baron said.

"And Elfin?" Marucho said fearfully.

Fighting back tears, Joe nodded.

"Drago..." Dan's voice was empty.

"I'm sorry, guys." Joe looked down.

Dan looked about to reply, but his cell phone rang. Warily, he pulled it out, and looking relieved, mouthed, "It's Shun." Flipping the phone open, Dan put it on speaker and said, "Tell me you have good news."

"That depends on what the Vexos are doing in Hawaii," Shun said.

"Hawaii?" Baron perked up a little, sounding surprised.

"Well, _we_ can't go find out!" Dan said angrily.

Now _Shun_ was the one surprised. "Why? Did something happen?"

"You bet it did," Dan said darkly and explained about the Bakugan disappearing.

"What!"

"I'm so sorry, Shun!" Joe said, a couple of tears escaping his eyes.

Though obviously shocked, Shun said, "It's not your fault. Is everyone else there?"

"No." Dan explained to him about Mira being kidnapped. He left out the whole "Spectra/Keith" part.

"Anyone else missing?"

"Everybody's here except..." Dan froze as he did a head-count. When he spoke again, his voice was tense. "Hey, Shun? I'll call you back later, okay?"

"Who's missing?"

"Ace. I'm going to strangle him!"

"Tell me where Spectra is so I can meet you there."

"He's in Europe. The UK."

"See you there." Shun hung up.

**Me: Like I said, short chapter. Sorry.**

**Percival: What about Ace?**

**Me: That's why it was a short chapter. So you have to read the next one to know what happened to Ace!**

**Helios: Maybe you aren't as dumb as I thought.**

**Percival: You did this on PURPOSE?**

**Me: Uh-oh. I'm dead! Okay, I'll make a deal with you, Percival. You don't kill me, and I upload the next chapter right away! Sound good?**

**Percival (steaming mad): Right away had better mean right NOW.**

**Me: Sure! Just don't kill me. Deal?**

**Percival: Fine. Now go upload the chapter!**

**Me: On it! (run away to computer)**

**Helios: (watching) She forgot to say it, but go ahead and review. Or wait till the next chapter, since it will apparently be up right away. Whichever you want. (Thank God I don't have to try and understand humans like Obsessive-Fan Number 1...)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Percival: It wasn't right away.**

**Me: That's because I had to WRITE it before I could upload it, and the Internet on my computer broke down. Cut me some slack, Percival.**

**Helios: Make HIM do the disclaimer this time. I've done it the past TWO times.**

**Me: Technically, you haven't done it the past TWO times, but whatever. Percival, it is your turn.**

**Percival: Fine. Obsessive-Fan Number 1 doesn't own any of the rights to anything in this story.**

**Helios: Except the plot.**

**Percival: Except the plot.**

**Me: Aw, thanks, guys.**

**Percival: You'd better cover what happened to Ace in this one!**

**Me: I will; don't worry. And with that, let's start Chapter 4!**

When Ace woke up, his head was throbbing, and his right shoulder was killing him. A quick touch of the wound let him know it had stopped bleeding sometime. _How long have I been out?_ Any thought of his own pain left his mind instantly when he saw the cage next to his.

"Mira!"

Mira was on the ground. She was carefully laid out so that she was facing away from Ace. She didn't move at all; Ace couldn't even tell if she was _breathing_ or not. Blood covered her upper back, some of it dried. She'd been like that as long as Ace had been knocked out.

Clenching his hands into fists, Ace yelled, "You monster! You did this to your own sister!"

There was a moment of silence before Ace heard Spectra answer. "What happened to not believing it?"

"It doesn't matter," Ace growled. "Either you're using Keith's name to hurt Mira even more, or you really are Keith and did this to your sister! No matter _which_ is true, you're a monster!"

Unseen to Ace, Spectra flinched the smallest bit at the second accusation. "She saved _you_," Spectra said, not as an excuse, but as a way to shift at least part of the blame to Ace.

It worked, but Ace barely acknowledged it. "You don't have slow reaction time. You could've stopped your blade! Instead, you cut her open, and now you're letting her bleed to death?"

"Bleed to death? Try taking a closer look at the wound."

"Give me a good reason why I should listen to _you_!"

"Exactly because you _won't_. You aren't going to believe that I did it unless you see for yourself."

Ace did look, but he had to twice before he _could_ believe it. Mira's injury was bandaged. All the blood he'd seen had seeped through bandages. _Spectra... took care of her?_

"Bandaging the wound," Ace said tensely, "is no excuse for cutting her open!"

Spectra slightly flinched again before shutting off the speakers so Ace couldn't hear him. "Gus," he said, glancing at the Subterra brawler, "go provoke him into running into the cage bars. That should make him quiet down."

Gus nodded and left the room. No sooner had he then King Zenoheld appeared on the holographic communication screen. "Well?" Zenoheld demanded.

"My king." Spectra knelt, despising how much respect he had to act with toward the old fool.

"Have you succeeded in capturing Earth's core?"

"Not yet, Your Majesty. However, I _have_ managed to capture something much more...useful." _Of course, the work would go much _faster_ if the old fool didn't insist on checking in every hour._

"And what would _that_ be, Spectra?" Zenoheld said doubtfully.

"All six of the Resistance's Guardian Bakugan," Spectra said calmly.

"Interesting." Zenoheld's suspicious tone was mocking, one of his constant mistakes when dealing with the leader of the Vexos. "You managed that _how_ exactly?"

"An exchange of sorts," Spectra replied smoothly. "Gus and I kidnapped one of their members, and we offered a trade for the Bakugan."

"The Resistance _agreed_ to this?"

"Not at first. They tried to fight us, but the Darkus brawler brought the Bakugan as a last resort."

"Hm. Forgive me if your tale is hard to believe," Zenoheld said sarcastic-ally, "but on this important of a matter..."

"Of course, Your Majesty." Spectra stood and switched the monitor screen away from Ace and Mira to show the six captured Bakugan.

"I want out!" Elfin complained.

"Look how well it went _last_ time you said that!" Percival said. "All of you got caught!"

"We didn't have a clue where we were, Percival," Haos Mega Nemus said. "Go a little easy on us."

"Besides," Ventus Master Ingram added, "it can't get much worse than this."

"Thanks for the optimism," Percival said, dark sarcasm filling his voice.

Spectra shut off the sound so that way he didn't have to put up with their pesky arguing. "Captured and ready for the slaughter, sire."

"It seems your usefulness will never run out," Zenoheld said suspiciously. "Bring them to me once you have the core. The Bakugan will give you an edge to complete the mission."

"Of course, my king." Spectra knelt and watched the screen short out. "Old fool," he muttered, standing. "The Bakugan will give me an edge, all right. Enough of one to complete _my_ mission." He switched the monitor back in time to see Ace ram into the cage bars and get shocked into unconsciousness. "Why give the Bakugan up when I can easily keep and use them for myself?" His dark laugh echoed around the room.

**Me: There you go, Percival!**

**Percival: So MIRA got sliced open instead? That isn't much better than it happening to Ace!**

**Helios: How did SHE get cut? Spectra wasn't trying to kill her.**

**Me: Okay, first, Percival, it's still better. And second, I will explain that, Helios. I promise. For now, please review! It will make me insanely happy!**

**Helios: Just as long as you don't squeal again. My ears are still ringing from when you squealed after the FIRST chapter.**

**Me: I'm in a good mood, so I'll try not to. Anyway, please review so I'll put up the next chapter!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Me: Chapter 5, here we come!**

**Percival: Okay, you need to quit trying to do catchy entrances. They're annoying.**

**Helios: He's...actually...right. About that.**

**Me: Oh, just be quiet.**

**Helios: Does that mean YOU'RE going to do the disclaimer for a change?**

**Me: Oh, yeah! Thanks for reminding me, Helios! It's your turn.**

**Helios: Ugh. Obsessive-Fan Number 1 doesn't own the rights to anything in this story except the plot.**

**Percival (mocking grin): You shouldn't have brought it up.**

**Helios: Hey, I don't want the story deleted. At least not until she gets to the part that I'm even HERE for.**

**Me: That's what you say, Helios, but deep down, you like the story, don't you?**

**Helios: Hmph. Whatever. Can you get on with the story already?**

**Me: You DO like it! I will just because you do.**

Hours later, Ace stirred again. _D*mn*t,_ he thought when he saw sparks zapping off the cage bars. He should've known that plain old bars were too low-key for _any_ Vexos, especially one that claimed to be Mira's missing older brother.

_Mira!_ Ace's hands clenched into fists when he saw her. She hadn't moved at all. However long it had been, Mira hadn't woken once.

"You monster!" Ace shouted. "If she doesn't wake up..."

Watching and listening, Spectra tensed slightly. He wouldn't—couldn't—believe he'd killed his sister. No matter what he said or did, in the end he at least cared about Mira enough to leave her alive.

He flicked on the sound. "Don't assume she's dead yet." Amazingly, his voice remained calm.

"Does it matter?" Ace said angrily. "You're killing her anyways!"

"What?"

Ace was too mad to catch Spectra's slight hint of panic. "By pretending you're Keith! You're tearing Mira apart, and I swear I'm going to kill you for it!"

Spectra saw Gus's hand clench into a fist at the threat. "Feel free to use anything you want to provoke him again," Spectra said.

"Of course, Lord Spectra." Gus bowed and, with a dark smile, left.

Spectra only watched long enough to see Gus reach Ace before shutting off the monitor. He needed time to think, and he couldn't do that when he kept seeing his little sister unconscious off to the side of the screen. He _definitely_ couldn't with Ace accusing him off killing Mira. Especially if...no. Mira _wasn't_ dead. He had saved her from bleeding to death, not killed her.

Absentmindedly, Spectra turned up the voltage on Ace's cage, figuring it would keep him quiet longer. The Pyrus brawler glanced up when he heard Ace scream less than a second later. Apparently he'd turned the voltage up at the same time as Ace rammed into the cage. Not that Spectra much cared. It could be silent payback for Ace's accusations as far as he cared.

"She was the one who got in the way," Helios growled, startling Spectra even though the Pyrus Bakugan had been on the control panel the entire time.

"I _know_ that, Helios," Spectra said, a little exasperated with the topic.

"Then quit being so distracted by it. You know what really happened, so why are you letting Ace get to you?" Beneath Helios's roughness, there was genuine caring, even if Spectra was the only one to ever hear it.

"Who ever said I was letting the Darkus brawler get to me?"

"Nice try. He might not notice you panicking, but I do."

"I never _panicked_."

"Sure you didn't. Because you were _calm_ is why you sent your ridiculously loyal subject to knock him out. That makes _perfect_ sense."

"Don't push your limits, Helios. The fact that you and I are partners doesn't mean you can carelessly scold me."

"If it were _careless_ scolding, then you would've already killed me, and we both know it. Ace has been getting to you about Mira, and we both know it. You're denying that because of your pride, but apparently, _I'm_ the only one who knows that."

"Quiet, Helios." Spectra picked up the Pyrus Bakugan, flicked him in the air with one finger, and caught him. "I have enough to deal with without you scolding me about cutting open my sister."

"Then quit caring so much. It's not like you can go back and change it."

Spectra sighed, closing his eyes. "We may be on opposite sides, but she is still my younger sister. Whether I like it or not, we _are_ blood family. For the sake of that, I'd rather she live."

"In other words, you care about her either way."

"That could be one way to put it."

"There's no way you can change it. What happened happened. Quit worrying about it so much."

"I wouldn't call it _worrying_."

"No, you would call it _your business and no one else's_ to make me stay out of it. I know you better than that, Spectra."

"If you know that much, then why are you still persisting about it, Helios?"

"Because you're too distracted by it! You know that the rest of the Resistance won't stay away for long, and when they show up, the last thing we need is for you to be distracted against them."

"Since when are you the one deciding what we do and don't need?"

"Since you weren't able to."

"Not _able_ to? You may want to rephrase that, Helios."

"Why? It's the most true thing for right now. Get a hold of yourself, Spectra, before you lose what we've finally won."

Spectra glanced at his Guardian with narrowed eyes. "This is your last chance to stop persisting about it, Helios. I've heard enough about slicing Mira open in the past few hours."

"Hmph." Helios landed on the control panel again. He stayed silent.

**Percival: Wasn't that kind of short?**

**Helios: This from the one who was saying that no one cared about the length earlier.**

**Me: Please don't start a fight, guys. Percival's right; sorry it was kind of short.**

**Percival: You still haven't explained how MIRA was the one to get cut open. And why was Spectra acting weird?**

**Me: Because he DOES feel kind of guilty about slicing Mira instead of Ace. If it were Ace, he wouldn't care at all, but like he said, him and Mira are still blood family.**

**Helios: Is it that, or are you trying to tick me off by making him seem weak?**

**Me: Weak? Why would I be trying to tick YOU off? I don't want EITHER of you mad at me.**

**Helios: Hmph. Whatever. (Making Spectra seem weak makes it seem like we BOTH are when NEITHER of us is...)**

**Me: By the way, this chapter has a couple dedications.**

**First to Clovergirl100 since after May 28****th****, she'll be gone. Here's the upload, like you wanted! I don't know why, but I'm so glad that you love the story, Clovergirl! Especially since you won't be on after May 28****th****, I'm glad I got lucky enough to have an awesome reviewer like you!**

**And to Earth Master for being the first to review this story and for recently re-energizing me to continue uploading despite my horribleness at coming up with brawl scenes. Thanks so much!**

**Please review, everyone! And I will jump up and down with joy and give everybody giant air hugs of happiness!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Me: Drum roll, please! *drum roll on knees***

**Helios: (facepalm) I give up on her.**

**Percival: (facepalm) She's hopeless.**

**Me: Oh be quiet, you two. Welcome, readers, to chapter 6! I'm sorry it's a really short one, but don't worry! I will make it up to you! And I will tell you how at the end of the chapter!**

**Helios: Why do you insist on those stupid entrances?**

**Me: Hey! They aren't stupid! They're just cheesy!**

**Helios: (There's a difference?)**

**Me: Do the stupid disclaimer, Helios.**

**Helios (angrily): Obsessive-Fan Number 1 doesn't own the rights to anything in this story except for the plot.**

**Me: 'Nuff said. Here's the chapter!**

Ace stirred yet again after almost half an hour. He could literally feel the electricity sparking off of him, and it hurt like h*ll. It hurt to even move, so all he did was open his eyes. _Dang it, why did I run into those stupid things again?_ he thought, noticing the sparks shooting off of the cage bars. Silently, he sighed; he knew why. He'd been trying to get at Gus to kill the Subterra brawler.

**~I~**

"_What the heck do you want?" Ace said angrily._

_Gus stopped in front of the cage bars. He was smirking just the slightest bit. "Only to let you know what happened for her"—he pointed at Mira—"to be the one cut open."_

_In an instant, Ace was next to the cage bars. He barely remembered to stop before ramming into them. "What did you do?" he growled._

"_It should've been you who would be the one lying there," Gus said simply, "dying."_

"_Shut the h*ll up!" Fury got the better of Ace, and he lunged at the cage bars._

**~I~**

Ace groaned slightly, rubbing his arm where it had hit the bars. Slowly, he sat up, trying to keep down the pain. But when he saw Mira still hadn't moved, he panicked, getting as close to her cage as he could.

"Mira, you have to move," he whispered desperately. "Please! Just...just do _something_..." He trailed off, tears forming in his eyes. "Please, Mira. Don't be...don't be dead...please, Mira...you have to move. You have to be alive." He couldn't stop the tears from sliding down his face. Angrily, he used his fist to wipe them away, swearing to get revenge on Spectra for hurting Mira like this.

**~I~**

Watching from the monitor room (since he had nothing better to do, and either way, he was too worried about Mira to leave), Spectra glanced at the time. It had been four hours now, and Mira still hadn't moved. "She isn't actually...dead," he said, looking at Helios and Gus, "is she?"

"Not as far as I know, Lord Spectra," Gus said.

"What makes you think _I_ know?" Helios growled. "I've been here the whole time, too, remember?"

Spectra didn't say anything, looking back at the monitor. He tried to convince himself that this wasn't his fault, but in the back of his mind, he knew it was. He'd been the one to actually slice Mira's back deep enough to seriously—maybe fatally—hurt her.

"Quit it," Helios growled.

"Stop assuming that you can get away with scolding me, Helios," Spectra said, stretching his patience.

"You haven't killed me yet, have you? I can get away with it." Helios hopped down from Spectra's shoulder to his hand. "Quit worrying so much about your sister. If she lives, she lives. If she doesn't, she doesn't. It's that simple."

"It's more complex than that."

"How? You can't control what happens to her now."

Spectra sighed. "I already explained this to you, Helios."

"And I already explained how it's simple," Helios said stubbornly. Spectra chose to ignore him for the moment, instead focusing on Ace and Mira. It was obvious to anyone, even without seeing this, that the Darkus brawler loved Mira, but it was clearer than ever now. Ace didn't cry easily, but he was now. Spectra didn't regret the pain this was causing Ace. He just regretted hurting his little sister.

"If she dies," Ace said suddenly, loud enough for the two brawlers watching to hear, "then I swear I'll kill you, Spectra! If you killed her, then I'm going to make sure that the same thing happens to you!"

Gus's hands clenched into fists. "How dare he threaten Lord Spectra like that!" he hissed quietly.

A cruel smile flashed across Spectra's face. "Use his Bakugan this time. That should get him to knock himself out."

Gus glanced up, having not expected Spectra to hear, before an identical smile crossed his face. "Of course, Lord Spectra," he said and left the room.

"Well at least you're acting a _little_ normal again," Helios growled, moving to the control panel. "I want to watch this one."

Spectra nodded and left the monitor screen on. He kept his hand on the controls for the voltage so he could—purposely this time—turn it up when Ace hit the cage bars.

**~I~**

Meanwhile, on the other side of the building, Shadow Prove was driving the other three Vexos to the brink of insanity. "Will you quit running around, and explain to us why exactly you woke us up?" Mylene finally shouted, slapping him across the face.

"Ow!" Shadow rubbed his face.

Near the wall, Lync started. Rubbing his eyes, he complained, "Did you have to _yell_, Mylene? I was almost asleep again!"

"Misery loves company," Volt said simply. "So why are we awake again?"

"Duh," Shadow said. "It's partying time!"

"_What_?" the three other Vexos all said in sync.

"Partying time!" Shadow repeated, handing out little party favors.

"What the heck are we supposed to do with this?" Lync said, holding his upside down.

"You blow it," Shadow explained, unusually calm-ish. "See?" He blew into his right in Lync's face, and the extra part at the front end uncurled to nearly hit the Ventus brawler.

"Hey!" Lync scampered away behind the couch. Shadow laughed with insane delight.

"And we're partying _why_?" Mylene said, rubbing her forehead and trying very hard not to slap Shadow again.

"'Cause we beat the Resistance!" Shadow said, like it was obvious.

"No we didn't," Volt pointed out. "We just took away their brawling ability."

"Yeah, yeah, same thing!" Shadow said, blowing him off with a wave. "None of them are any good now, anyways!"

"Except that new one," Lync said, sticking his head above the back of the couch. "Joe or whatever his name is."

"Whatever! We've practically got them beaten, with or without the new guy!" Shadow continued to excitedly hand out different things, such as candy and party hats.

Lync took the candy and said, "I'm going back to sleep."

**Me: *laughing* A little bit of humor there with the party. Thanks to Clovergirl100 for coming up with that idea!**

**Helios: It DOES sound like Shadow Prove...**

**Percival: I guess...**

**Me: Now, I promised I'd make it up to everybody with how it's a short chapter. Who wants to know how?**

**Helios & Percival: We have a choice?**

**Me: Hm, I'm telling anyway, so no, you two really don't. I'll upload chapter 7 right now! Please review!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Me: Percival, Helios, you guys holding up alright?**

**Helios: Why wouldn't we be?**

**Me: I don't know.**

**Helios: Hmph. (turn head away)**

**Percival: I'm still wondering why MIRA was the one cut open.**

**Me: I'll explain in this chapter. I promise. Percival, it's your turn.**

**Percival: Obsessive-Fan Number 1 only owns the rights to this plot. Other than that, she owns nothing in this story.**

**Me: Exactly. Thanks, Percival. Now, on with the chapter!**

About twenty minutes later, Mira finally half-woke. Her head was spinning, and she was a little disoriented, but she was still clinging to the last thing she'd seen.

**~I~**

"_No!" Mira cried. She leapt in the way of the blade, pushing it away from Ace and cutting her hands. It sliced her across her back, and she screamed before her vision started swirling._

"Mira_!" Spectra instantly pulled the blade away. "D*mm*t!" he swore quietly, his eyes wide with panic. "Gus!" he said sharply, turning his head to look at the Subterra Vexos. "Bring—" He said more, but Mira blacked out before she could hear the rest._

**~I~**

Slowly, Mira opened her eyes and sat up. Something moved against her back, and she twisted around—ignoring the pain—to see...bandages? Even her hands had been taken care of. _By...Keith?_

Hopefulness started to rise up inside Mira. There was still a chance for her older brother. The bandages must've been what he was saying to bring. He was the only one who _could've_ taken care of her. Ace couldn't have because—

_Ace!_ Finally, Mira noticed the cage next to hers—and more importantly, that Ace was on the ground near his cage bars. Sparks of electricity zapped off of him. Mira barely kept a cry of panic from being shouted aloud.

"You're finally awake."

"Keith!" Mira looked up, even though Spectra was nowhere in sight.  
"You—" She wasn't sure if she was going to say something about Keith taking care of her or hurting Ace.

"He's still alive," Spectra said scornfully. "And since I took care of that wound, so are you."

Relieved, Mira smiled. Ace was alive. And there was still hope for Keith.

"What are you _smiling_ for?" Spectra said, sounding surprised.

"There's still a chance for you, Keith," Mira said, "no matter what you said before."

"Is there?" Spectra's tone changed to mocking. "That isn't why I took care of it, Mira."

"Then why would you?"

"_Think_, little sister. If I hadn't, then you would've bled to death. I saved your life. That puts you in my debt, and you should know that I'll use that."

Part of Mira's happiness was crushed, but she refused to give up yet. "Is that really why, Keith?" she asked stubbornly.

"If you weren't so desperate to get your brother back, you wouldn't even need to ask." Spectra teleported inside Mira's cage and kicked her into the bars, though he was careful not to kick her cut. He teleported out again instantly, but not before Mira screamed. Unable to stand it, Spectra turned down the voltage on her cage bars, and he wouldn't watch until after Mira slumped to the ground, unconscious again.

Outside, four members of the Resistance were waiting out of sight. "Where the heck _is_ Shun?" Dan hissed.

"Master Shun said he'd be on his way," Baron whispered. His eyes shone with excitement, but there was also a wariness that showed he knew how serious what they were about to do was.

"Yeah, Dan," Marucho whispered. "Calm down."

"Otherwise you'll get us caught," Joe added quietly. Dan glared at them all, but he shut up.

Behind them, Shun silently landed on his feet "I'm here."

"What took you so long?" Dan whispered angrily.

"I had to get here from Hawaii, Dan," Shun said. "Cut me a bit of slack."

"Now that everyone's here," Joe said, "what are we waiting for?"

"Good question," Dan said. "Let's go!" All five got inside easily enough—it helped that they'd all already gotten past four of the six Vexos—and they got about halfway through without being noticed. Once they _were_ that far, though...

"We were wondering how long it was going to take you to arrive."

"Spectra!" Dan tensed half an instant before everyone else. "What did you do with them?"

"They aren't _dead_, if that's what you want." Spectra was half-hidden by the shadows, but the Brawlers could still see his purely evil smile when he slightly shrugged. "What _condition_ they're in..."

"If you hurt them—!" Dan shouted, clenching his hands into fists.

"You can't expect me to be _perfect_, can you?" Spectra said, dismissing it with a wave of his hand. "If you win, you can take them back."

"How are we supposed to do that when we don't have any of the Bakugan?" Joe yelled.

"Take your pick." Spectra motioned, and a hologram appeared that showed the Bakugan. "Any of them that are there."

"Drago," Joe said instantly. The Pyrus Bakugan was the only one strong enough to beat Helios.

"Not so fast," Helios growled from Spectra's shoulder.

"I said any of them _there_," Spectra said. Now the Brawlers noticed his sly smile. "Drago isn't. I have him right here." He pulled Drago out to show them.

The changes in Drago were obvious, even only in ball form. His head and feet had turned black, and his pupils had disappeared. He didn't react to them at all, even when Dan cried, "Drago!"

"Which evolution was he at?" Spectra said mockingly, closing his fist around Drago. "Cross Dragonoid? It doesn't matter. Drago is Hex Dragonoid now." **(A/N: I know in the show, Drago is turned into Hex Dragonoid when he's still at Neo Dragonoid. But the game turns him into Cross Dragonoid before the Egypt mission that I started at, so I had to work with it.)**

"I swear I'm gonna kill you for this, Spectra!" Dan yelled, starting to lunge forward. Joe, Shun, Marucho, and Baron all caught him before he could get more than a few steps forward.

"Calm down, Master Dan!" Baron cried, trying to tug Dan back by his arm.

"What did you do to him!" Dan shouted.

"A side effect of his defection," Spectra said smoothly. Everyone heard the implied "you can't do a thing about it unless you win" in his voice. "Choose a different one."

"Ingram," Joe said. The Ventus Bakugan was always his main fallback when he couldn't use Drago.

"Very well." Spectra motioned with his hand, and the screen disappeared. Two seconds later, Gus teleported in and carelessly tossed Ingram at Joe.

Joe caught him. "You okay, Ingram?"

"I'm fine," Ingram said. "Right now, Drago's the worst off."

"And we're gonna change that," Joe said determinedly.

Spectra flicked Drago in the air with one finger and caught him. "This may become interesting," he said calmly, throwing Drago.

"Let's go!" Joe threw Ingram.

"_Bakugan, brawl!_" both yelled. _"Bakugan, stand!_"

"Rise, Pyrus Hex Dragonoid!" Spectra shouted.

"Come on, Ventus Master Ingram!" Joe yelled.

*Fight details not worked out.

Outcome: Ingram beats Drago.*

Both Bakugan zoomed to Joe's hand when they went into ball form. "Nice one, Ingram!" Joe said, exhilarated.

"Unh..." Drago looked like he was struggling, but it was only a moment before his color returned to normal and his pupils returned. "What the—" he started groggily.

"Drago!" Dan eagerly grabbed his guardian.

"Whoa—Dan? When did you—"

Dan laughed. "Long story, buddy."

"You're telling me _all_ of it later, Dan."

"You got it, Drago!"

"How touching," Spectra said mocking, reminding everyone where they were. "But you may want to hold off the reunion."

"Can we get on with it now?" Helios said, landing in Spectra's open hand. "The mushiness is making me sick."

Joe looked at Dan and Drago. "You up for it, Drago?"

"Anytime," Drago said

Dan placed Drago in Joe's hand with a smile. "Kick those two's a**es for me," Dan said.

"No problem," Joe said, smiling.

*Fight details not worked out.

Outcome: Drago beats Helios (again).*

Spectra caught Helios when the half-mechanical Bakugan went into ball form. "A promise is a promise," Spectra said calmly. "Mira, Ace, and the Bakugan are yours." In a flash, he was beside the Brawlers, Drago and Ingram in his hand. Before anyone could do anything, he teleported away.

**Me: Cliffhanger! I love doing those!**

**Helios: ...He was still upset.**

**Me: Who, Spectra? About hurting Mira? Of course he was!**

**Helios: He shouldn't be. It's not like he was TRYING to cut her open.**

**Me: Yeah, but he did anyway, and then he knocked her into the cage bars, literally shocked her, and that knocked her out again. You can't blame the guy for feeling guilty.**

**Percival: Yeah, Helios. Don't take out that you're upset Drago beat you on Obsessive-Fan Number 1.**

**Helios (suddenly furious): I am not "taking it out" on anyone, and even if I did, it would be on YOU, got it?**

**Percival (mocking): Not on Drago?**

**Helios: (growling) That does it! (lunge at Percival)**

**Me: Helios, no! Bad! Sit, boy!**

**Helios: (stops) What?**

**Percival: (stops) What?**

**Me: Uh...nothing! Anyhoo, please review! (Now I'd better get out of here before Helios realizes that I was talking to him like he's a dog...!)**


	8. Chapter 8

**Me: Here comes...**

**Percival: Not again!**

**Me: (ignoring Percival) ...chapter 8!**

**Helios: Seriously, quit that. It's annoying.**

**Me: Aw, but it's fun!**

**Percival: Are you trying to torture us here?**

**Me: Oh come on, they aren't THAT bad!**

**Helios & Percival: (exchange look) …**

**Me: (anger mark) Just do the disclaimer already, Helios.**

**Helios: …**

**Me: Otherwise I'll delete the section I told you about before!**

**Helios: Alright, alright! (reluctantly) Obsessive-Fan Number 1 owns no rights in this story except for the actual storyline.**

**Percival: Which she won't type and upload fast enough.**

**Me: Oh, shut up, Percival. Here's the chapter!**

* * *

"Drago!" Dan shouted.

"Ingram!" Shun cried.

Spectra only went to the room where the other four Bakugan were stored. He wasn't going to give up that easily. Carelessly, he dumped Drago and Ingram with the others, ignoring the Bakugans' protests. Then he teleported back to the monitor room.

"Dang it!" Dan punched the wall, scraping his knuckles.

"At least...all we have to do is find them, and then we get them back," Baron said, "right?" He looked at everyone expectantly. When no one said any-thing, he repeated, "_Right_?"

"If Spectra is a man of his word," Dan said darkly. Baron looked a little panicked.

"He will be on this," Marucho said quickly.

"Unless he has to take another beating to make him," Joe agreed.

Looking relieved, Baron nodded. "Yeah." The Resistance members searched until they heard a noise that all of them raced over to.

Inside the room, Elfin was complaining _again_. "I want—"

"Please don't say—" Drago muttered.

"—_out_!" both of them said at once. Drago groaned, but Elfin kept going. "Ingram and Drago got to leave! Why can't the rest of us?"

"We already explained this a dozen times, Elfin," Ingram said, sounding like some of his patience was wearing thin. "They brought us out so I could fight Drago, and Drago could fight Helios."

"Quit complaining, Elfin," Drago said in a strained voice.

"I hate—" Elfin started.

With a sigh, Drago started silently counting down—he was actually _that _desperate—to keep from blowing up at Elfin. _Ten. Nine._

"—teeny-tiny—"

_Eight, seven, six._

"—dark, cramped—"

_Five...four._

"—closed-off—"

_Three...two...one._

"—bad guy bases!"

Drago snapped. "Elfin! Shut up!"

The other five Bakugan were startled into silence. Usually, Drago was the only one with endless patience, not one to blow up, and never the first.

Ingram was the only one who dared to go up to Drago. The Ventus Bakugan lightly nudged him. "You okay?"

"Y-yeah." _Drago_ had been surprised at his outburst. Since he was Dan's guardian, though, he was kind of the unofficial leader of the Bakugan, so he added, "I'm fine," to keep them calm.

"Are you sure?" Ingram said.

"I'm sure," Drago said, a lot more confidently than he felt about it.

"I want out," Elfin said in a very small voice. She sounded terrified, but afraid to show it.

Drago had to soften at that. He had kind of taken Elfin under his wing ages ago. He cared about her even a bit more than the others. Not—_never—_in the same way as Wavern, but Drago still did his best to guard Elfin.

"I know you hate it in here," Drago said. "So do I, and I'd bet we all do. But complaining is only making us worry more, and by now, we don't have to."

"Why not?" Percival said.

Ingram looked surprised, then relieved. "That's right."

"How?" Wilda said, speaking up for the first time since Mira's betrayal.

"Because Spectra lost," Drago said. "They made a deal: the winner got us, Ace, and Mira. Joe won, so once Dan and the others find us..."

"We're home free!" Elfin cried.

"Exactly," Drago said, hoping none of them would say anything about the "find" part.

"What about—" Percival started, but he was cut off.

"Drago!" Dan shouted.

Relieved, Drago said to Elfin, "What did I tell you?" He shouted, "In here!" to Dan.

"Hold on a minute, buddy!" Dan yelled, working on undoing the lock. It only took a second before he yanked open the door.

All of the Bakugan zoomed straight to their partners except Wilda and Percival. Wilda went straight to Joe's shoulder wordlessly. Percival looked hopefully around for Ace, but followed Wilda when he didn't see the Darkus brawler, seeming upset.

"You okay, Drago?" Dan said, cupping the Pyrus Bakugan in his hands.

"I'm fine," Drago assured him. "Really, Dan," he added at Dan's suspicious look. "I promise."

"Nemus!" Baron grabbed his guardian, holding the Haos Bakugan close to his heart. "I was so worried about you!" The Vestal boy was tearing up.

"It's alright, Baron," Nemus said. His smile could be heard in his voice. It was obvious how happy he was to be back with his partner.

"Marucho!" Elfin danced around in mid-air.

"I'm glad you're alright, Elfin," Marucho said, sniffing. He was on the verge of tears, too.

"Shun!" Ingram landed on Shun's shoulder and laughed. "What took you so long?"

Grinning, Shun stroked his partner. "Sorry I took a while, Ingram."

Taking some pity on Percival and Wilda—who were literally getting stiffer by the second—Joe said, "Now we need to go find Mira and Ace."

Everyone nodded. "Right," Baron said. All five searched—they'd agreed to stick together in case they ran into trouble—but Percival was the one to find the two missing Vestals.

"Ace!" the Darkus Bakugan cried, starting to go toward his partner.

"Don't, Percival!" Ace said quickly. He was sitting with his back against the far wall, arms crossed.

Percival froze automatically about five inches away from the cell bars. "Why _should_ I?" he said, his voice tense with anger.

In response, Ace picked up a rock inside the cage. He threw it at the cage bars. When the rock hit, it instantly was sizzled into disintegration.

"Because I don't want _that _to be _you_," Ace said.

Percival was silent for a moment. When he spoke, it sounded like he needed s_omething_ to take his anger out on. "That's the second time today you've kept me alive by using a rock!"

Ace grinned and shrugged. "They're nearby and easy," he said simply, standing and walking closer to the cage bars. He stopped about a foot away from them and put his hand on the wall as close as he could safely get it to the bars. "Besides, I have no clue how much Spectra's messed with the electricity in these things."

"Mira!" Wilda zoomed as close to the cage bars as he could get when he saw his partner spread face-down and her back stained blood-red.

"What happened to her?" Joe demanded.

"Who else?" Ace was tense with anger. "Spectra was trying to cut _me_ open. From what I can figure out, Mira leapt in the way, and Spectra sliced _her_ instead."

"From what you can figure out?" Dan repeated.

"I was unconscious. I didn't see it."

"So how do we get you out of that thing?" Percival said angrily.

"How should I know?" Ace said. "If I did, then I wouldn't still be in here. I would've already gotten out and back to the plane."

"Hold on," Joe said, pulling out what looked like a bunch of scraps. "I think I might be able to—yes!" He'd done something with the scraps, and in a few seconds, he'd put them all together to make...something. Joe put the thing on the wall between Ace and Mira's cages There was a bright flash, and the bars turned a rusty-metal color.

"There," Joe said as Ace raced out of his cage, grabbed Percival, and ran straight to Mira. "We've got about five minutes before the electricity starts up again."

"EMP charge!" Marucho said. "Brilliant!"

Joe grinned. "It was nothing."

"What?" Dan said, confused.

"Electromagnetic pulse," Joe said. "It shorts out electricity."

Ace knelt next to Mira, gently propping her up in his arms. "Come on, Mira," he muttered. "Wake up, dang it!"

Mira stirred. "Ace!" she cried when she saw she was in the Darkus brawler's arms. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Ace said gently. "What about you?"

"I'm okay." Mira winced as she got to her feet.

"Hey, take it easy!" Ace said instantly.

"Taking it easy isn't going to get us out of here," Mira said, taking a very relieved Wilda and putting him on her shoulder. She glanced sidelong at all of them. "And don't even _try_ to tell me that's not what we're doing."

"Not stupid enough to," Dan said. "Let's get going!" He flashed a suspicious look at Ace when no one was looking, but didn't say a word as he followed everyone else out.

**~I~**

Inside the monitor room, Spectra and Gus were watching the whole scene. "Should I stop them, Lord Spectra?" Gus asked.

"We aren't going to let them get away _that_ easily, are we?" Helios growled.

Spectra didn't answer either of them. He watched the Resistance silently.

"Sir?" Gus said, a bit hesitantly.

"Well?" Helios pressed impatiently.

"Let them go," Spectra said finally.

"_What!_" Helios stared at him.

"Lord Spectra—" Gus started.

"Let them go," Spectra repeated. "Give them the delusion of momentary safety. Once they've been fooled into that is when we'll strike." He glanced away from the monitor screen for a moment. "Besides, our time acting as Vexos will end shortly. Waiting gives us the opportunity to get _them_ out of our way before we do anything more to the Resistance."

* * *

**Helios (to himself): So that's how it is.**

**Me: Yup!**

**Helios (startled): You—(sees smug warning look from me) ugh. I give up.**

**Me: Just as long as you don't give up on beating Drago!**

**Helios: Not a chance!**

**Percival: Do you really have to encourage him about that?**

**Me: Yup!**

**Percival: Ugh.**

**Me: I'm noticing a pattern here...oh well! Please review! (And by the way, I went back and revised Chapter 2 as well, so if anybody wants to check that out, too? I would be eternally grateful. Thanks!)**


	9. Chapter 9

**Me (boring monotone): Here's Chapter 9.**

**Percival: Um, did something happen to you?**

**Helios: You sound so...tired. And bored.**

**Me: (dramatic sigh) Well, since you guys hate it when I try to do fun entrances...**

**Percival: But – that doesn't mean you have to be all dull about it! This is your story! You have to be excited!**

**Helios: I can't believe I'm saying this, but he's right! If YOU'RE dull about it, then no one likes it.**

**Me: But you guys hate my entrances, so why bother making them exciting? (wicked grin when they aren't looking)**

**Helios & Percival: (exchange look)**

**Percival: Well...**

**Helios: I guess...**

**Helios & Percival: ...you can keep doing them.**

**Percival: Even if they are cheesy.**

**Helios: No matter how dumb some of them are.**

**Me: (suddenly perk up) Yay! (jump onto both of their shoulders and hug them) Thanks, guys!**

**Helios: (jerk away) What the heck do you think you're doing?**

**Percival: (laugh) At least she's normal again.**

**Helios: Hmph. (turn head away) (Is that really a good thing...?)**

**Me: Percival, your turn.**

**Percival: Obsessive-Fan Number 1 only owns the rights to the storyline and to her cheesy-beyond-belief entrances. Other than that, she owns nothing.**

**Me: (smiling) Oh shut up. On to the story!**

* * *

"Come on," Ace said once they were back in the plane. He gently tugged Mira into her room. "You need those bandages changed."

With a nod, Mira slipped off her jacket and sat cross-legged on the ground with her back facing Ace. Ace knelt behind her and started unwrapping the bandages. They were both silent for a while until Ace finished. Wrapping a new strip of gauze around Mira, he broke the silence.

"Why didn't you tell us?"

"Come on, Ace." Mira twisted around so that she was facing him. "My older brother, who I've been trying to find for years, turns out to be Spectra Phantom, the leader of the Vexos?" She shook her head. "I _still_ don't want to believe it."

Ace didn't say anything as he finished with the bandages. He switched to one knee, tilting Mira's chin up so that he was looking her in the eye. "Whatever Spectra did," Ace said, "we're going to figure this out." He took Mira's hand and gently pulled her to her feet. "I promise. Now you need to get some sleep."

Mira nodded. "Thanks, Ace," she said, laying down on her bed and falling asleep almost instantly.

Ace smiled and whispered, "Sweet dreams." He slipped out of the room, quietly shutting the door behind him.

"Ace?"

"Percival?" Ace turned. His guardian was hovering right there. "What's up?"

The Darkus Bakugan looked down. "The others want to...talk."

Ace sighed angrily, grabbed Percival, and started walking. "Should've known this was coming," Ace muttered.

"I'll...keep my mouth shut," Percival said. He was obviously uncomfortable with the idea, but he knew better than to fight Ace's battles.

"Thanks." Ace turned into the main room.

"So." Dan was pacing in the center of the room. Joe and Marucho were closer to the back of the room, looking uneasy. Baron was standing near the Interspace portal. Shun was nowhere in sight. Dan looked at Ace without stopping and said, "What were you thinking?"

"I was _thinking_ I was going to get Mira back," Ace said. "It's not like I was _planning_ to get caught."

"We agreed to wait a few hours," Dan said, "and go as a _team_. Instead, you go alone, nearly got both Mira and yourself killed, and lost the Bakugan!" He glared accusingly at Ace. "Even woke up and got knocked out again without doing anything useful whatsoever!"

It suddenly dawned on Ace what Dan was implying. "_What_!"

"That's not—" Drago started.

"You think I _gave_ the Bakugan to _Spectra_?" Ace cut Drago off. The Vestal brawler didn't want _anyone _fighting his battles.

Dan spread his hands out. "I don't know what else to think," he said. "How else could Spectra have gotten them?"

"I brought them as a last resort! Nothing else!"

"Then why did Spectra have them? Explain _that _to us, Ace."

"I would never give the Bakugan to _anyone_, let alone Spectra! I didn't hand them over!"

"Didn't you?" Dan's glare was fire and ice.

Ace couldn't believe it. He was _friends _with Dan, and Dan thought he'd given up the Bakugan? "Fine," he said tensely. "Fine. I'm done."

"Ace—!" Baron started anxiously.

"You can come or stay, Baron, whichever you want." Ace looked away. A bit of worry leaked into his voice when he said, "Percival?"

Percival had been hovering in front of Joe. Now he turned to face every-one except his partner. "Sorry, guys," he said before floating over and landing on Ace's shoulder. "I'm sticking with you, Ace."

Relieved, but not letting it show, Ace nodded. "Let's get out of here, Percival." He shot one final, poisonous glare at Dan before running out the door and onto the ground.

"Ace!" Baron cried, reaching after him. A glare from Dan stopped him. Baron's arm dropped like lead, but he kept glancing back and forth between the door and everyone else. Finally, he looked at the ground. "Nemus?"

"Whichever you choose, I'll follow you, Baron." Nemus landed on Baron's shoulder.

Baron looked back and forth one more time, but this time, his gaze ended on the door. "I'm really sorry, guys," he said, sounding upset, before running out the door. "Ace, wait!"

Ace was already several yards away from the plane, but he stopped and glanced back, surprised. He had to smile when Baron caught up, panting. "Guess you're here to stop me?" Ace said.

Baron caught his breath, straightened, and shook his head. "I'm coming with you," he said. "I believe you."

Ace was startled, but he nodded. It was a welcome surprise. "Baron?"

"Yeah?"

Lightly, Ace punched Baron in the arm. "Thanks."

Baron grinned. "No problem! What're best friends for?"

Ace nodded. "Yeah." He ran ahead.

Baron's smile faded as he looked back at the plane. "Splitting up is a bad idea, Nemus. I _know_ it."

"It's not too late to go back, Baron," Nemus said gently.

"No way." Baron shook his head stubbornly. "I'm going with Ace." Still, his gaze lingered on the plane before he squeezed his eyes shut and raced after Ace.

When he caught up, Ace was doing something to his gauntlet. "What're you doing?" Baron asked.

"Tracker," Ace said. "Remember? We put them in our gauntlets on New Vestroia?"

"Yeah. What about it?"

"Taking it out," Ace said simply. Seeing Baron's surprise and unease, he said, "You don't have to do it."

Baron stared at his gauntlet for a long time. Then he shut his eyes. Silently, he took it off his wrist and held it out to Ace, refusing to let a single tear fall at the finality.

Surprised, Ace took the gauntlet from him. "Thanks, Baron," he said, knowing how hard this had to be for the Haos brawler. Baron nodded without opening his eyes. Ace took out the tracker and put the gauntlet back together as fast as he could, putting it on Baron's wrist when he finished.

Baron opened his eyes and looked at his gauntlet. "It doesn't look any different," he said, surprised.

"Course not." Ace grinned. "The trackers went _inside_, remember?"

"Oh, yeah." Baron's stomach rumbled. Embarrassed, he rubbed behind his head. "Uh...oops?"

Ace laughed. "I'll go ahead and get us some food."

"Cheeseburgers?" Baron said hopefully. "Please?"

"Alright," Ace said, grinning. He ran ahead again.

Baron's smile disappeared. He looked back over his shoulder again, an unusual weight in his eyes.

"Baron?" Nemus said.

"It's missing a part," Baron said, laying his hand on his gauntlet. "So it's supposed to feel lighter, right?" Sadness filled his voice when he asked, "Then why is it so heavy now?"

"You know it's alright to go back," Nemus said gently.

"No." Baron shook his head. "I said I was going with Ace, and I'm gonna do it." He ran after Ace.

* * *

Inside the Vexos' base, King Zenoheld was scolding Spectra. "You capture the guardian Bakugan of the Resistance members, assuring me that all six are ready for the slaughter," Zenoheld said, "and lose them all within _twenty-four hours_. Do you have anything to say for yourself, Spectra?"

This entire time, Spectra had kept up his loyal act: on one knee, respect-fully keeping his head bowed, and remaining totally silent. Even though he was ahead of the Vexos, Spectra was the only one hidden completely in shadows. Thankfully, his time hiding his true intentions was ending _now_.

"One thing, sire," Spectra said calmly. He didn't look up or a say a word after those three.

"Would you care to enlighten us what that is?" Zenoheld said mockingly after a moment of total silence.

Rather than answer aloud, Spectra pressed a button on his gauntlet, still kneeling with his head bowed. Gus saw what Spectra had done and smiled, knowing how short the rest would be.

A Core Crystal rose out of the ground behind everyone, startling the Vexos. Horizontal purple rings rose up around each individual Vexos, the same way they had when the Resistances' brawling ability had been stolen. Spectra was stealing the Vexos' ability to brawl.

"What the—!" Lync tried to jerk back, but he wasn't the only one who couldn't move. None of the Vexos could move at all. Except, unfortunately, they were still able to move their mouths, but that was a small price for getting the Vexos out of the way.

"What are you doing?" Mylene demanded.

Finally, Spectra looked Zenoheld in the eye. For that split second, anyone would swear that Spectra was entirely insane. Wild exhilaration and a level of evil that the Vexos didn't see often—let alone _were—_filled his eyes; they could all see it through the mask. His smile was purely dark enthusiasm.

"The one thing, _Your Majesty_?" Spectra used the title mockingly. He stood and glanced back at the Vexos with a cruel smile before looking Zenoheld in the eye again. Contempt and amusement added to his eyes. "I can't believe I wasted the time spent as one of your Vexos."

"_Traitor_!" Volt spat.

In an instant—faster than Spectra even _tried_ to see—Gus was on his feet and had backhanded Volt. "You _will not_ speak to Lord Spectra that way," Gus said, deadly calm about the matter.

Spectra only smiled. Being unable to brawl would put the Vexos out of the picture anyway; why bother intervening to stop Gus? For all Spectra cared about the Vexos, Gus could slit their throats.

"You used us!" Shadow Prove said angrily.

"Of course I did," Spectra said calmly. He was _amusing himself_ during all of this. "Did you honestly believe I could stand any of you for a different reason?"

"So what's your grand scheme _now_, huh?" Lync tried in vain to struggle against the rings.

"If any of you were worth the time it would take to tell, then you would've learned when I explained it to Gus," Spectra said smoothly. He wasn't an idiot. The Vexos were unable to do anything, but they would still encounter the Resistance and no doubt tell them. And unfortunately, their newest member wasn't affected by the Core Crystals. He could still brawl, which created an interesting, but somewhat annoying, obstacle.

"D*mm*t!" Volt swore, trying to break free.

"Did you truly think I would tell you?" Spectra said. While he _was_ enjoying himself, his patience with the Vexos had worn thin. He looked at Gus, who was patiently waiting off to the side. "Let's go, Gus."

"Of course, Lord Spectra." Gus pressed a button on his gauntlet. Both he and Spectra were teleported out of the base and inside the massive Vestal Destroyer.

* * *

**Me: Yay! Longest chapter yet!**

**Helios: It's about time.**

**Me: Yeah, I agree. Spectra needed to break off from the Vexos.**

**Percival (angry): Ace never gave us up!**

**Me: I know that, Percival, but you also have to keep in mind that Dan wasn't there when it happened. If you weren't there, and it wasn't Ace that was being accused, you would probably assume the same thing as Dan.**

**Helios: In other words, quit whining.**

**Percival: WHINING! I'll show you WHINING!**

**Me: Guys! Calm down! No fighting here!**

**Helios: Who says?**

**Me: I say! And I'm the author!**

**Percival: So?**

**Me: So I'm the one who decides what happens next in the story, and I can cut out or add anything I want, HELIOS!**

**Helios: ...(glare) I hate you.**

**Me: Does that mean you're done trying to kill each other?**

**Helios: ...(glare)**

**Me (warningly): Helios!**

**Helios (annoyed): Fine! I won't kill him...(yet).**

**Me: Good. And Percival?**

**Percival (still fuming): ...Alright...(for now).**

**Me: Whew! Thanks, guys. Couple of last things. First off, this one's for those finishing up exams! (Told you I'd upload as a special treat for you, Clovergirl100.) Second, readers, review and I will do my best to upload the next chapter ASAP! And it will definitely have my signature cheesy entrances!**

**Helios: (Oh, great...)**

**Percival: (She even ADMITS that they're cheesy...)**


	10. Chapter 10

**Me: Here we are! Presenting Chapter Ten to you are...(drum roll) Darkus Midnight Percival, Pyrus Mechanical Helios, and myself, Obsessive-Fan Number 1! (applause)**

**Helios: (groan) What do you think this is, Broadway? Or Hollywood?**

**Percival: Oh come on. Let her do it.**

**Helios: Don't tell me YOU'RE starting to ENJOY her entrances!**

**Percival: Well...they ARE kind of funny...**

**Helios: I don't believe this. I don't believe this. I'm surrounded by idiots.**

**Me: This "idiot" is the one who decides the final plot, Helios.**

**Helios: Come on! You're trying to kill me here!**

**Me: Yup. It even says in my profile: "I'm worse than evil. I'm the author!". I can do whatever I want.**

**Percival: Like make you say the disclaimer, Helios.**

**Helios (outraged): WHAT? You aren't even the one who DECIDES that, Percival!**

**Me: No, but it is your turn. And if you don't, I will never let the general audience read the part I keep threatening to take out. You don't want THAT, do you?**

**Helios: ...(grudgingly) No.**

**Me: Then say it.**

**Helios: Obsessive-Fan Number 1 only owns her ridiculous entrances and the plot. She doesn't own the rights to anything else. (Why me...?)**

**Me: They aren't RIDICULOUS, but thanks. (lights fade) And the curtain rises...**

* * *

"Baron?" Ace said, holding his second cheeseburger in one hand.

Baron started, almost dropping his fifth burger. "Yeah?"

"Go back," Ace said for about the thousandth time in the past ten minutes.

Baron's face set into an expression of pure determination. "No. I'm staying with you."

"You're miserable, Baron. Anyone can see that."

"I'll be miserable either way! Either my best friend isn't there, or no one else is! At least like this, you and Percival have got Nemus and me!"

Ace was silent for a moment. "There's more of the others than me. It'll help."

"No it won't! One of my two best friends won't be there!" Baron wouldn't let himself cry, but he couldn't keep from raising his voice.

Ace knew that there was no changing Baron's mind, but he still shook his head. Ruffling Baron's hair, Ace said, "How did I end up with a _Haos_ brawler who's the biggest _people person_ anyone's ever met as a best friend?"

Baron laughed a little. "'Cause ya did."

"Yeah." Ace grinned, leaning back on his hands. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Baron's smile fade as he glanced over his shoulder. Then Baron quickly shook his head and looked forward again, smile returning instantly.

Ace sighed. This was bad for Baron, and they both knew it, but Baron flat-out refused to go back anyway. Silently, Ace promised himself that he would get Baron to go back to the others no matter what.

* * *

"That was a bad idea, Dan," Joe said. "We need _everyone_."

"We don't need people we can't trust," Dan said stubbornly.

"You're not—" Drago started again.

"Can't trust? What are you talking about?"

"Mira!" Dan said. "You're awake!"

Mira was standing at the edge of the hallway, staring at the four human boys. "Where are Ace and Baron?"

"Uh..." Dan quickly stepped back. "Shun can tell you!"

"How? I wasn't here for it," Shun said.

"Okay...Marucho can!"

"No way!" Marucho said.

"Well, _I'm_ not going to!" Dan said.

Everyone looked at Joe.

Joe paled. "_Me_?"

Dan pointed at him and looked at Mira. "Joe just volunteered. He can tell."

"I didn't—" Joe started.

"I'm listening," Mira said, looking at him.

"But—" Joe stopped when Mira gave him a "you really want to push it?" look. Shoulders drooping, Joe said, "Okay. I'll tell. Um...Ace and Baron...kind of...left."

Mira stared at him. "Why?"

"Because...well, Baron went after Ace."

"Why would Ace leave?"

"Uh...'cause him and Dan got in...a fight."

"About what?"

"Um...Dan accused Ace of giving Spectra the Bakugan to get you back."

"What!" Mira cried. She turned to glare at Dan. "That's not what happened at all!"

Dan spread his hands out, palms up. "Then how could Spectra get the Bakugan? Because he had them when we got there."

"Keith _found_ them! They were making a commotion inside Ace's pocket, and Keith heard them after Ace was unconscious!"

"Why did Ace bring them in the first place?"

_SLAP!_

Mira glared at Dan. "Because he had them there as a _last resort _if he needed it!"

Dan rubbed his cheek, where a red hand mark was left from Mira's slap. "What'd you slap me for?"

"For being such an idiot! Ace didn't give Keith _anything_, let alone our Bakugan!"

Dan was silent for a moment, considering. Finally, he looked at Drago. "Why didn't you say something?"

"I've been trying to!" Drago said. "Everyone kept cutting me off!"

Dan looked at the ground. "Oh," he said slowly. "I guess...I owe him one _heck_ of an apology, huh."

"Yeah," Mira said in an angry "no duh" tone. "We have to go after Ace and Baron!" She raced out the door with everyone else right behind her.

* * *

Ace nudged Baron's arm. "Baron."

"Yeah?" Baron glanced at him.

"Over there. Look." Ace jerked his thumb toward an area several yards away, where all the human Resistance members were.

Baron's face lit up. "Guys!" he shouted, waving his arms. "Over here!" Taking advantage of Baron's one-track mind, Ace slipped into the shadows.

"Baron!" Dan yelled. All of them raced over. "We've been looking _every-where_!"

Hugging everyone, even Shun, Baron wiped away tears. "I didn't—I missed you guys so much!" he said through tears.

"We missed you, too, Baron," Dan said, laughing.

"Where's Mira?" Baron's eyes were shining with happiness.

"We made her go back to the plane," Shun said. "She didn't _want_ to, but she's still hurt."

Starting to settle down, Baron said, "We'll see her when we get back then, right?"

"Right," Joe said.

"Where's Ace?" Marucho asked.

"He's right h—" Baron stopped and looked around. "Ace?" he said, sounding confused. "Ace, come on!"

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Percival said quietly.

"It's better for Baron," Ace said softly. "More people around will make it easier on him."

"It's not Baron I'm worried about."

"Ace?" Baron said uncertainly. He looked around one last time before his shoulders drooped. "I guess he...isn't coming," Baron said sadly, looking down at the ground.

"Hey." Dan put his hand on Baron's shoulder, looking him straight in the eye. "We'll get him back. It might take a bit, but we won't give up on him."

"Y-yeah." Baron looked around again.

"Come on," Dan said gently, steering Baron away. "Let's head back." Hollowly, Baron nodded, looking around one final time before his gaze dropped to the ground.

Ace waited until they were gone before going back out. "There."

Hovering in front of Ace's left shoulder, Percival dared to suggest, "Maybe we should go back."

Ace looked at him. _Not you, too, Percival!_ "Do you want to go back, Percival?"

"It's not about what I want. I care about what _you need_, Ace."

"It's a yes or no question."

"_With_ you, yes. _Without_ you?" Percival floated in front of his face. "Forget it."

Relieved, Ace smiled. "Thanks, Percival."

"No problem, Ace." Percival landed on Ace's shoulder. "Come on; let's go."

* * *

The Brawlers managed to come up with little things to keep Baron perked up on the way back to the plane. He knew what they were doing, but he let it work. They got back close to midnight to find Mira waiting impatiently, some-thing that could really cheer him up.

"Mira!" Baron cried, tackling her in a hug.

"Ow, Baron, I missed you, too," Mira said, relieved that he was alright, but unable to keep from wincing.

Baron's eyes widened, and he pulled back. "I totally forgot! I'm sorry!"

"No, it's okay, just not so _hard_..."

Baron hugged Mira tightly again, this time being careful of her back. His eyes were shining. He was crying, yes, but they were tears of happiness.

"Where's Ace?" Mira asked.

Just like that, Baron shut down. He pulled away, looking at the door. Sadness replaced his joy that had been there two seconds ago. "He didn't come."

"Hey, Baron, why don't—" Joe started.

"Guys, it's okay," Baron interrupted. He smiled sadly. "I just miss him. I mean, that's normal, right? We're best friends." He waved cheerfully, but everyone knew it was an act. "I'm gonna be in my room." He ran down the hallway, but it was Ace's room he went into.

"Are you alright?" Nemus said gently.

Baron collapsed on the bed, the side of his face pressing into Ace's pillow. "Some best friend _I_ am," he muttered.

"Don't be so hard on yourself, Baron."

"I said I was gonna stick with Ace. Now we're back here safe and sound, while him and Percival are out there on their own!"

"The two of them can take of themselves and each other. You know that."

"But what if they run into the Vexos? Ace can't brawl, remember?"

"He's also a ninja, Baron. They'll be fine."

Baron pushed the pillow away. "Yeah," he said, his voice empty. He laid there, eyes wide open, for a long time before finally falling asleep, twitching every now and then.

* * *

The next day, the Resistance was out searching for Ace again. They had no clue that he was following them, keeping an eye on Baron since Mira had been sent back again. Everyone was startled when they heard two familiar voices.

"Yeesh." Shadow stuck his nose in the air. "This is the dumbest assignment _ever_."

"Shut up, Shadow," Lync said. He was crouching, his hand pressed against the ground. He didn't even look up.

"Why should I?"

"We're supposed to be _scouting_. That's my thing, which is _not_ dumb—"

"Even more reason it _is_," Shadow muttered.

Lync glared at him and continued. "—so I get to boss you around."

Shadow pulled down under his right eye and stuck his tongue out. "What the heck are we looking for, anyway?"

"Good question," Dan said casually. "What _are_ you looking for?"

"What the—!" Lync leapt to his feet.

"No no no no _no_! No fair!" Shadow stomped his feet. "Not when _I_ can't brawl!"

"Shadow!" Lync glared at him.

"What?" Joe said. "When _you_ can't brawl?"

"Since when can't _you_ brawl?" Dan said.

"Nice going," Lync said sarcastically. "Blabbermouth."

Shadow stuck his nose in the air. "Whatever." He teleported away.

"Hey! Wait for me!" Lync tried to go after him, but Joe grabbed the back of his cape's neck, lifting the Ventus brawler in the air. Kicking the air, Lync yelled, "Let go!"

"Not until you tell me what you meant by _you_ not being able to brawl," Joe said. The other Resistance members were snickering. Hidden in shadows, even Ace grinned.

"Fine! Just let me go!" Lync shouted. Joe released the cape. Scampering out of anyone's reach, Lync glared at him before looking at Dan and the others. "Spectra and Gus," the pink-haired Vestal said. "They used a Vexos Crystal to steal _our_ brawling ability. None of the Vexos can brawl now."

"What, did they take away their own brawling ability?" Dan said.

"Somebody missed the point," Lync said mockingly. He shook his head, turning serious. "They aren't Vexos anymore."

"Then what are they?" Joe said.

"Evil," Lync said simply. "Anti-everyone. Something along those lines." He shrugged. "If I were you, I'd be careful around those two, Spectra especially. Gus is just his lackey, but Spectra is the one who's more insane than the Vexos."

"Whoa," Dan said. "When did you start warning us? Is there some reason you're telling us all this other than not wanting to get lifted in the air again?"

Lync didn't say a word, but for some reason, he started blushing.

"_Oh_," Dan said. "_That's_ why."

"Shut up!" Lync snapped, blushing even more.

"What's why?" Joe asked.

"He's telling us so we can protect Alice," Dan said, grinning mockingly, "'cause he's got a crush on her."

"I said shut up!" Blushing furiously, Lync backed away. "Just don't find a way to make me regret telling you." He pushed a button on his gauntlet and teleported away.

"Did you hear that, Percival?" Ace whispered.

"Yeah," Percival said quietly. "Spectra and Gus are their own side now."

Ace grinned. "You up for it?"

"This is a dumb idea. Let's go," Percival said, keeping a straight face the whole time.

"On it." Ace crept a ways away from the others before running in the direction of Spectra's base.

* * *

**Percival: Well, as long as he knows it's a dumb idea...I'm up for it!**

**Helios: Yeah right. Like the two of you would last ten minutes fighting Spectra and me.**

**Percival: If you hadn't STOLEN ACE'S BRAWLING ABILITY, we'd be able to see about that!**

**Helios: Technically, Spectra and I didn't. It was Volt who did that.**

**Percival: YOU meaning the Vexos in general!**

**Helios: Spectra and I aren't Vexos anymore. Did you miss that somehow?**

**Percival (fuming): The Vexos did it when you were.**

**Helios: When we ACTED as them, you mean. We were Vexos for maybe a month? Two? After that, it was an act to fool them.**

**Percival: WHATEVER! (lunge at Helios)**

**Helios: (sidestepping) Nice try.**

**Percival: (whirling and hitting Helios as hard as possible) I'll show YOU a "nice try"!**

**Me: Aah! Guys, calm down! Now!**

**Helios: (catching his balance) Tell HIM that.**

**Me: Percival! Settle down!**

**Percival: No! I'm sick of his high-mighty-know-it-all attitude!**

**Me: Percival, please! At least save the fighting for AWAY from these parts! Brawl—er, FIGHT it out all you want in the story!**

**Percival (fuming): ...Fine.**

**Me: (leap onto Percival's shoulder & pat his shoulder) Thanks. (Whew, that was close!)**

**Percival: ...Hmph.**

**Helios (quietly so I don't hear): Don't forget to review. And, for my sake, tell her not to squeal. (My ears STILL hurt from the first chapter.)**


End file.
